MLB’s trade deadline is right around the corner, with August 1 bearing down upon us. Trade rumors are flying at a frenetic pace, but the big question everyone wants to know is whether the Los Angeles Angels will trade Shohei Ohtani.
The Angels have slowly but surely made progress in the AL West, winning seven of their past ten games, and are now just four games out of a Wild Card spot. This is exactly what they needed to show baseball’s best player that his first taste of the postseason was within reach.
According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Angels will not be trading Ohtani and have officially pulled the two-way superstar off the market. For the other teams in MLB, this is not the news they want to hear, but for Angels fans, it’s a party.
Instead of becoming sellers, the Angels will now be buyers, looking for the right opportunities to add talent to the roster. One area of need involves improving the pitching staff.
Ohtani is in the final year of team control with the Angels and is set for free agency at the end of the season. The Angels would obviously like to keep their face of the franchise, and Ohtani has never indicated a desire to play elsewhere, but money talks.
No matter what, whether it’s in LA or elsewhere, Ohtani will sign a record-shattering contract that some have speculated could reach as much as $600 million. Who knows, maybe more.
But for now, the Angels can relax a bit and enjoy the rest of their season keeping the focus on one specific task; Making the most of these last few months, showing Ohtani they can compete until the very end.
Related: MLB trade tracker: MLB trades today with grades and analysis